Duration: 5:22

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Song credits:
Essential Guide to Africa: Click Song, Escrobondo, Nizalwa Ngobani
Enya: Far Far Away
The Lion King Broadway Soundtrack: Endless Night

Video credits:
Lion Country, Season 1, ITV1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWEM0EOX3D8

VIDEO HAS BEEN WATERMARKED TO PREVENT COPYING PHOTOS AND VIDEO. ALL PHOTOS BELONG TO ME!

Truly this programme does not deserve a single bad word, having been there myself and volunteered the safe movement of these wonderful animals into the programme's later stages, I have to say it was the time of my life. The "African Lion Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild" project is relatively recent, and so far, extremely successful. There are 4 stages to the programme:

1) Captive lions are brought into the programme raised with wild principles as mothers would teach them, for example cuffing the cheek when misbehaviing. They are taken into their natural surroundings at least 3 times a day to seek prey and explore. If they become disorientated or stressed, they can return to one another or handlers/volunteers for social comfort. They are not prevented from making kills on local game, and will not come into contact with local human populations.

While in this stage, people can observe lions during their walks to help raise funds for the programme. This contact is a lot more limited than most people think...

2) By 18 months of age, handling ceases and - based on behavioural studies - lions are grouped for the best genetic structure and based on compatability with one another. They are monitorred within very large enclosures, and released daily AND nightly to hunt without human protection.

3) As soon as they are deemed able to fend for themselves, the lions move into 10,000 acre enclosures. This is at least 3 times the size of their natural territories, and allows them to live natural lives without coming into contact with humans or livestock. Although some are tagged (as some wild lions are too remember!) they are allowed to live life like wild lions. In fact, studies show they are just as successful in health and hunting as wild-born lions, especially at capturing one of the tougher prey species, impala. The record for this is an 8 month old lioness (who was with me when I volunteered!) named Bisa.

In these enclosures, they have natural competition from other predators, including other lions. Check out the progress of their latest release on the charity's Facebook page!


4) Some cubs born in these 10,00 acre enclosures are moved to areas of Africa where populations and gene flow suffers most. They are born with natural, human avoidance behaviours, and their instincts intact. Lions generally suffer many losses of cubs, but not all cubs are taken so not to disturb lions and prevent them from breeding altogether.

Don't hesitate to PM if you'd like to know more about the project or the lions! Follow this link to learn more about the trust, and join their Facebook page if you can!

http://www.lionalert.org/